Medardo Mairena Sequeira is the National Coordinator of the Consejo por la Defensa de la Tierra, Lago y Soberanía (Council for the Defence of the Land, Lake and Sovereignty). One of the main goals of the Council is to repeal Law 840 (2013), which granted concession over the lands to the privately held Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Company. Local groups consider the Council to be one of the largest and most important civil society movements that has arisen in the country in the past 15 years

Land disputes in Nicaragua, largely ignored by the authoritarian government, have led to precarious situations for indigenous communities and those who defend them. In many cases, the companies who carry out violations and human rights defenders and communities are working in collaboration with police forces and even the army. HRDs have been attacked, criminalised, imprisoned and even killed.